If you have been wandering around Hebra with a cold nose and a shrine shaped gap on your map, Wao-os Shrine is probably the one you are missing. It hides at the back of a cave instead of sitting on the surface, and finding it is tied to a lovely little side quest about a white bird in the snow.
Inside, the trial is called Lever Power: a catapult puzzle where you drop a heavy block onto a seesaw to fling an iron ball at targets. Let’s walk through this together, from the clue to the chest.
Where to Find Wao-os Shrine
- Region: Hebra, west of Lake Totori and not far from Rito Village
- Cave: the shrine is at the end of West Lake Totori Cave
- Trial: Lever Power
- Rewards: Light of Blessing and a chest with a Spicy Elixir
- Nearby tower: Rospro Pass Skyview Tower, a handy launch point for gliding toward Lake Totori
The cave entrance sits on the side of the mountains west of Lake Totori and is easy to miss from the ground. The side quest below is the most reliable way to pinpoint it.
Dress warm before you go. Hebra drains hearts quickly without cold resistance, so bring spicy food, a Spicy Elixir or the Snowquill armor from Rito Village. Our guide on cooking meals and crafting elixirs covers the spicy dishes.
The White Bird’s Guidance Side Quest
The Vibe: this is a sweet little shrine quest, and it doubles as the clue to the cave.
- Step 1: finish the main quest Tulin of Rito Village, then talk to Laissa in Rito Village. She saw a white bird in the shadow of Vah Medoh’s Perch early one morning, and when she went after it, she found a cave instead.
- Step 2: climb to the top of Vah Medoh’s Perch, the stone spire the village is built around.
- Step 3: if it is not morning yet, light a campfire and wait until the morning.
- Step 4: look west. Follow the long shadow of the perch and, just to its right, you will see a patch of snow shaped like a white bird.
- Step 5: drop a map marker on it and paraglide over. The cave entrance is right there.
The quest completes as soon as you reach Wao-os Shrine. No pressure, but it is a lot more fun to find it this way than by checking a map.
Through West Lake Totori Cave
The cave is short and calm. Head in, follow the path west alongside the underground lake, and keep going into the next cavern where the shrine waits. There is nothing dangerous here, so take your time.
Like most caves in Tears of the Kingdom, West Lake Totori Cave is worth a proper look for ingredients, ore and its Bubbulfrog, which drops a Bubbul Gem you can trade to Koltin.
Lever Power Solution
Here’s the chill version: a block, a sphere, a bowl and a seesaw at the edge of a gap, with two round targets across the room. The lower target opens a side gate, and the higher target opens the exit.
First Target
- Step 1: walk forward into the big room. You will see a gate on your left, plus an iron block, an iron sphere, a large bowl and a seesaw hanging over the gap.
- Step 2: with Ultrahand, attach the bowl to the near end of the seesaw, the end on your side.
- Step 3: put the sphere in the bowl.
- Step 4: lift the block and hold it above the far end of the seesaw, then let go. The block slams down and launches the sphere at the lower target. The gate on your left opens.
Second Target
- Step 5: inside the newly opened gate is a plank. Detach the bowl, attach the plank to the seesaw to make the arm longer, and put the bowl back on the end.
- Step 6: load the sphere and drop the block again. The longer arm throws the ball higher, up to the second target on the upper floor. The gate at the top of the room opens.
No Stress: if a shot misses, tweak where the block lands or how high you drop it and try again. The ball and block reset if they fall.
The Chest and the Exit
- Step 7: stand in the bowl yourself and drop the block to catapult Link upward. Turn around in the air and glide to a small platform with the chest. Inside is a Spicy Elixir.
- Step 8: go back to the seesaw and launch yourself again, this time toward the open gate at the top.
- Step 9: touch the green runes to collect the Light of Blessing. Wao-os Shrine is now a fast travel point.
Okay but, this part is so good: launching Link himself is the real trick of the shrine, and it feels great when you nail the landing.
Wao-os Shrine Rewards
| Reward | Where |
|---|---|
| Light of Blessing | Green runes at the end of the shrine |
| Spicy Elixir | Chest reached by catapulting yourself |
| Fast travel point | Unlocked when you finish the shrine |
| Side quest complete | The White Bird’s Guidance |
Four Lights of Blessing trade for a Heart Container or a Stamina Vessel at any Goddess Statue.
Pro Tips
- Go in the morning: the shadow trick only lines up early in the day, so wait at a campfire if you arrive at night.
- Unlock the tower: Rospro Pass Skyview Tower makes the whole area easier to scout and fly into.
- Use the arena edge: if the block keeps sliding, drop it from directly above the end of the seesaw.
- Keep the Elixir: the Spicy Elixir from the chest is perfect for the cold walk back.
Tracking down every shrine? The TOTK interactive map shows where the rest are hiding.
Wao-os Shrine FAQ
Where is Wao-os Shrine in Tears of the Kingdom?
Inside West Lake Totori Cave in Hebra, west of Lake Totori. The White Bird’s Guidance quest from Laissa in Rito Village points you to the cave.
How do you solve Lever Power?
Glue the bowl to the seesaw, place the ball in it and drop the iron block on the other end. Hit the low target first, then add the plank to the seesaw to reach the high target.
How do you get the chest in Wao-os Shrine?
Stand in the bowl and launch yourself with the block, then turn around to land on the small platform with the chest.
How do you start The White Bird’s Guidance?
Finish Tulin of Rito Village, then talk to Laissa in Rito Village.
The Payoff: a white bird in the snow, a hidden cave and a catapult made from a bowl and a box. Honestly? It is one of the most charming shrine hunts in Hebra. You’ve got this.
